RHS · GC · ICE · AMP
DANB is the national certification board for dental assistants in the United States. Its component exams — Radiation Health and Safety (RHS), General Chairside Assisting (GC), Infection Control (ICE), and Anatomy, Morphology and Physiology (AMP) — stack into the CDA and NELDA credentials that many states, dental boards, and DSO employers require before you can take radiographs, place sealants, or be paid as a certified assistant. Miss a component and the whole credential stalls. This page breaks down each exam, how DANB delivers them, and how to clear them the first time.
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How DANB structures its dental-assisting component exams — at a glance
325
All four exams are 100% multiple-choice. RHS (75), GC (95), ICE (75), and AMP (80) sit as separate appointments — there is no single combined sitting unless you choose a packaged RHS/GC option.
2
CDA is RHS + GC + ICE. NELDA is RHS + ICE + AMP. The shared RHS and ICE exams mean clearing them early counts toward either certification path.
400
Every component is reported 100–900 with a fixed 400 cut score. You bank each component independently — there is no cumulative average across exams.
Each component is its own timed appointment: RHS, ICE, and AMP run 60 minutes, while GC runs 75 minutes. You decide the order and can spread the exams across different days and even different testing modes — for example, RHS at a test center and ICE online. Component results are banked as you pass them, so a credential is assembled exam by exam.
DANB uses scaled scoring so results are comparable across exam forms regardless of which question set you draw. Each component returns a 100–900 scaled score and you need at least 400 to pass. Because the cut is fixed per exam, a weak showing on one component cannot be averaged away by a strong score elsewhere — you must clear every required exam on its own.
Each DANB component exam, with its official code, length, and which credential it feeds
| Component Exam | Code | Questions | Time | Counts toward |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radiation Health and Safety | RHS | 75 | 60 min | CDA & NELDA |
| General Chairside Assisting | GC | 95 | 75 min | CDA |
| Infection Control | ICE | 75 | 60 min | CDA & NELDA |
| Anatomy, Morphology and Physiology | AMP | 80 | 60 min | NELDA |
DANB also publishes a combined RHS/GC application (170 questions, 135 minutes) for candidates pursuing both in one appointment. Each component is scored 100–900 with a 400 passing mark, and the application fee is roughly $270 per exam.
Question share by component for the full CDA-plus-AMP track — bars show each exam's portion of the 325-question total
The broadest exam: collecting and recording clinical data, chairside dental procedures, assisting with patient management, and dental office operations. Many candidates find GC the hardest because it spans the entire scope of practice.
Head and neck anatomy, tooth morphology and numbering, and oral physiology. Required for NELDA and heavy on memorization of tooth surfaces, landmarks, and the universal numbering system.
Exposing and evaluating radiographs, radiation safety for patients and operators, and equipment and imaging technique. RHS is the exam many states tie directly to legal authorization to take dental x-rays.
Standard precautions, instrument processing and sterilization, surface disinfection, and occupational exposure protocols aligned to CDC and OSHA guidance. Shared by both the CDA and NELDA tracks.
Because each component must independently clear 400, candidates rarely fail on overall knowledge — they fail on the one exam they under-prepared. RHS and ICE feel deceptively procedural until a cluster of safety-rule and regulation questions exposes thin spots, and GC's breadth catches people who studied chairside skills but skipped office operations.
Two ways to sit each DANB exam — and what to expect on test day
You sit each component in a quiet, monitored Pearson VUE room. Staff verify your government-issued ID, store your belongings, and watch the room. A digital whiteboard replaces scratch paper. The application fee is about $270 per exam.
DANB exams can be taken from a private room at home under Pearson VUE OnVUE, monitored by AI plus a live proctor. You run a system test, then check in by photographing yourself, your ID, and your testing area. A digital whiteboard is provided; no physical notes are allowed.
A valid, unexpired government photo ID with a name matching your DANB profile. OnVUE captures your photo and may use facial-comparison technology to verify you during the exam.
A clear desk, no second monitor, no phone within reach after check-in, and a room photo sent from your phone. No one else may enter while you test.
Stay in webcam frame and on-mic the whole time. In-exam chat reaches a proctor but cannot pause time or fix your device. Leaving frame or losing connection can flag the session.
DANB certification gates pay and scope for dental assistants
Routes differ by exam — and the questions are detail-heavy
Difficulty: No single DANB exam is conceptually advanced, but each rewards precise recall of regulations, sterilization steps, radiation rules, and tooth anatomy that working assistants often "know in practice" yet phrase loosely. With four separate 400 cut scores, the real risk is one weak component derailing the whole credential — exactly the pressure point our help is built to remove.
DANB certification is a multi-exam gauntlet where one missed component holds up your whole credential, your radiograph authorization, and often your pay grade. Exam Assist pairs you with a vetted dental-assisting specialist and works on a pay-after-you-pass model — so the risk sits with us, not you. No upfront fee, guaranteed results: Exam Assist handles the sitting end to end, and you settle only after the verified result.
Tell us which components you need (RHS, GC, ICE, AMP), whether you're testing at a center or via OnVUE, your dates, and your state. Takes a couple of minutes over WhatsApp, Telegram, or Discord.
We review your components and timeline and tell you plainly whether it's realistic — before any money is discussed. If it isn't a fit, we say so.
Exam Assist handles the sitting end to end. You're matched with a specialist who maps the work around the exact components you're missing, the 400 cut score, and the OnVUE environment — discreetly and confidentially.
You only pay once your passing score is confirmed on your official DANB report. No verified result, nothing owed.
Pay-after-you-pass help for licensure and certification exams in healthcare, including DANB component exams.
ServiceGuidance for online proctored sittings — check-in, environment setup, and how monitored exams actually run.
BookStart the pay-after-you-pass process for your specific DANB components in a couple of minutes.
See the full pay-after-you-pass approach and how matching works for RHS, GC, ICE, and AMP.
Straight answers about the DANB dental-assisting exams
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View exam HESI A2Elsevier's admission assessment for nursing and health-science programs, with its own anatomy and science sections.
View examGet expert help with your RHS, GC, ICE, and AMP exams — no upfront fee, you settle only after your verified passing score. Honest feasibility answer first, results-first arrangement always.